Improvement in sleeping-cars



2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. SUTTER.

Car Seat and Couch.

No. 45,092. Patented Nov. 15, 1864.

Witnesses= lnventon AM. PHOTO-LITHO.CO. N.f. (USBURNE'S PROCESS.)

UNiTED STATES PATENT i JOSEPH SUTTER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN SLEEPING-CARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 4,5,09Q, dated November 15, 1864; antedated November 3. 1864.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J osnrn: SUTTER, of the city and State of New York, have invented and made a certain new and useful Improvement in Sleeping-(Jars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making part of this specification, wherein- Figure 1 is a side View of three seats in a car in a position adapted to sleeping. Fig. 2 is a cross-section through one of the seats. Fig. 3 represents the seat in a position for ordinary travel in day-time, and Fig. 4 is a plan of the seat'back in a horizontal position forming a portion of the sleeping-lounge.

Similar marks of reference denote the same parts.

My invention relates to a means for holding the backs of the seats in a horizontal position above the respective seats, so as to form an upper berth or lounge by said backs, thereby relieving the car from the weight of separate folding lounges heretofore usually employed.

In the drawings, a a a are the legs, of any usual character, sustaining the seat I), and c c c are the arms at the ends of the seats receiving the irons d to the backs e in any usual manner that may be sufficiently strong.

ff are links attached at 1 to the irons d, and of the same length as the said irons, so that the seat-back may be turned over from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the opposite side, in the manner usual with car-seats 5 but the end 2 of the linkfis fitted with a pin passing to a slot, 3, formed as an arc of a circle on the outer side of the arm 5 hence when the iron d is vertical, the link f can be turned or swung at the bottom end, so as to occupy a diagonal position, as shown in Fig. 1, and hold the back in a horizontal position until the link f is again made to coincide with the iron 01.

To avoid the necessity of having the backs 0 wide enough to reach from one to the other when turned horizontally, as in Fig. 1, I employ the hinged piece 9, that swings downward and is brought up against the edge of the adjoining back. This piece g is but half the thickness of the back itself, so as not to increase the thickness of said back, and is provided with a spring-latch, 4:, that acts to hold said turning piece to the back when folded against it, or to take a catch on the adjoining edge of the next back, when in the position shown in Fig. 1. This spring-latch is to be Withdrawn by pressing upon a rod, 5, that acts upon a bent lever, 6, said rod 5 ex tending to the end of the folding piece g, as shown in Fig. 4, where it is accessible.

The ends of the seatbacks forming the sides of the berth or lounge are provided with protecting-bars k, that are sustained by the bars '5, that are formed with slots taking pins in the sliding bars It, that pass into mortises in the backs running in from the ends of said backs so that the protecting-bars may be pressed up against the end of the seat-back by raising up said bars 1; until they can be turned and brought into line with k and pressed in with them into the mortises at the ends of the seat-backs. These bars h prevent the sleeper rolling off the upper lounge.

1 make use of a spring head-rest, l, with a spring, m, beneath it. This can be pressed down when not in use into the recess formed for its reception and retained by spring-latches 7 7, acted upon bya rod, 8, and spring 9,which rod Sis operated from the end of the seatback.

The folding leaves g, that fill up the spaces between the seats I), are hinged and swing down and up under the respective seats, as represented, and they are held in either position by springlatches similar to thelatches 4, and operated by a sliding rod, 5, in the same way.

The spring head-rest l is fitted onto one of the folding leaves 9, and when not in use is retained within its recess by spring-latches or latch-levers, as shown at 10, that are to be acted upon by a sliding rod similarly to the latches 7.

The parts may be upholstered in any desired manner or movable cushions provided, and rolling curtains, as at q, may be fitted forinclosing the berths, said curtains hanging from the roof of the car.

2' is a table that is sustained by links s, or may be allowed to hang vertical when not in use.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is

1. Sustaining the backs in a horizontal position by means of the swinging link f, applied in the manner and for the purposes specifled.

2. Thefolding extension-piece g, applied to the back and employed between one back and the other when in a horizontal position, as set forth.

3. The spring head-rests l or Z, constructed and applied in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

4. The protecting-burs h, connected by the slotted bars 1 and slide-bars k at the ends of the backs, forming the sides of the lounge or berth, for the purposes and as specified.

5. The folding extension-leaves g, turning up under the seats or reaching from one seat to the next for the purposes and as specified.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my signature this 30th day of Mareh, A. D. 1864.

JOSEPH SUTTER.

Witnesses:

LEMUEL W. 'SERRELL, GHAs. H. SMITH. 

